Eindhoven-based Kind Technologies, a company that provides industrial automation with computer vision, robotics, data, and AI for greenhouse horticulture, announced on Friday, January 27, that it has raised fresh growth funding. The amount remains undisclosed.
The investment came from Avedon Capital Partners. Avedon is a mid-market PE firm in the Benelux and DACH-region that supports founders of a niche market to realise their ambitious growth plans through organic growth, international expansion and/or a buy-and-build strategy.
The firm’s team is based in Amsterdam and Düsseldorf, and seeks opportunities in four sectors – smart industries, software & technology, consumer & health, and business services.
Kind Technologies: Everything you need to know
Founded in 2012 by Alex E. Kind and Richard Vialle, Kind Technologies is an IP-focused AgTech group specialising in robotics, computer vision, data and AI. It has developed the SortiPack system for fully automatic grading, sorting and packing of fruits and vegetables.
With over 150 employees, primarily engineers and technicians, Kind Technologies operates globally as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the greenhouse horticulture industry.
In greenhouse horticulture, which is a special kind of farming practice, crops are cultivated inside a transparent, covered shelter. The goal of this kind of farming is to create a climate that is suitable for crops or other delicate plants that need to be protected from harsh weather and pests.
The company says that increased automation will enable a world where plants and food are more evenly distributed and general resource scarcity is addressed.
Kind is active internationally with its companies Crux Agribotics and Martin Stolze from its headquarters in The Netherlands.
Capital utilisation
Kind Technologies says it will invest the funds to develop its product and focus on international expansion within the horticulture greenhouse market.
Alex E. Kind says, “The momentum we experience to deploy automation technology and robotics at an accelerated pace, is the reason why we started to engage with a new partner. Avedon sees the same opportunity and necessity as we do to disrupt the way plants, fruits and vegetables are grown today. Their experience in scaling will enable us to accelerate our expansion in offering and international service delivery.”
The funds will help further build Kind’s international sales and service organisation, and scale up the production processes and facilities for the next phase of growth. The company says the growth will be accelerated with selected buy-and-build opportunities to provide complementary IP and technologies as well as market access.
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